Memorial boys see podium finish


Throughout the season, Edmond Memorial assistant coach Chris Lowrey has preached to his runners that if all seven of the them stepped up on the same day good things could happen for them. 

On Saturday they did as the Edmond Memorial boys Cross Country team placed at the podium, finishing third at the 6A Cross Country State Championships.

“We were like the Washington Nationals on the road, nobody expected anything,” said an excited head coach David Sammons after the race. “We thought they were capable of it but we were such a young team all year we just didn’t know if we could get all seven on the same day. But they stepped up at the right time and on the right day, all seven of them did, so we were elated to get third.

Of the Bulldogs seven runners, three were seniors. On Saturday, the seniors led the Bulldogs as Noah Plum finished 11th and Jackson Watts finished fourth. 

“Our deal was we don’t have a frontrunner,” Sammons said. “And Jackson [Watts] stepped up to fourth place and he hadn’t been fourth in any meet all year except today. But you just have to do it one time.”

Sammons said the strategy was to run as a pack as they had done all year, and on Saturday that led to the entire team running personal best. As a team, the Bulldogs were just eight points out of second as they posted 93 and Westmoore posted an 85.

“We’ve seen glimpses of ‘hey three of you ran real well and the other four have got to be closer.’ Or we’d run two real well but the other five have got to be closer’. They bought in to believing ‘hey we can do this if we pull together,’” he said. "A seven man unit is what it is,” But the good lord blessed them and they stayed healthy, I guess you can kind of say they peaked at the right time.”

Mustang’s Gabe Simonsen won the individual state title, Deer Creek won the team title, and Westmoore followed them for second, all three schools are in the Central Oklahoma Athletic Conference. Of the 14 teams that ran in the state meet, nine of them were from the COAC.

“It makes COAC conference look so tough,” Sammons said. “The two regional champs, Mustang won the regional over at Sand Springs, and of course Deer Creek won the one at Norman. Out of the Norman regional all 7 teams that qualified were from COAC conference. Then we come to state and it’s like ‘my gosh this is like COAC conference again’. So we know each other real well.”

 

 

Sidebar

 

Edmond’s State Meet Results

BOYS

No. 3, AJ Antonelli, Deer Creek, 16:04:05

No. 4, Jackson Watts, Memorial, 16:11:43

No. 5, Gilbert Velez, Deer Creek, 16:15:48

No. 6, Jack Reed, Deer Creek, 16:18:89

No. 8, Max Wheeler, Santa Fe, 16:25:49

No. 11, Noah Plum, Memorial, 16:33:76

No. 13, Tyler Goza, Edmond North, 16:35:04

No. 14, Drake Wagner, Deer Creek, 16:35:54

No. 19, Simon Larrimore, Memorial, 16:44:35

No. 22, Landon Harrod, Deer Creek, 16:49:41

No. 23, Colton Beckner, Deer Creek, 16:51:63

No. 33, Joshua Tacker, Memorial, 17:02:24

No. 35, Hayden Wolfe, Deer Creek, 17:04:54

No. 38, Blake Rice, Memorial, 17:08:29

No. 39, Zach Hall, Santa Fe, 17:11:16

No. 42, Martin Samwell, Santa Fe, 17:12:16

No. 46, Jack Carter, Memorial, 17:15:58

No. 48, Yadon Bowman, Edmond North, 17:20:06

No. 51, Jackson Davis, Memorial, 17:22:18

No. 52, Cole Mcelmeel, Santa Fe, 17:22:56

No. 55, Jaden Redmond, Edmond North, 17:23:60

No. 59, Connor Mayfield, Santa Fe, 17:26:02

No. 73, Caleb Haymore, Santa Fe, 17:38:69

No. 74, Cameron Barron, Santa Fe, 17:39:43

No. 75, Carson Royse, Edmond North, 17:40:83

No. 81, Mason Nader, Edmond North, 17:50:28

No. 97, Jackson Louderback, Edmond North, 18:08:63

 

GIRLS

No. 12, Britton Russell, Santa Fe, 19:39:04

No. 18, Kendall Edelen, Deer Creek, 19:51:64

No. 24, Tally Smith, Edmond North, 19:59:44

No. 28, Mia John, Deer Creek, 20:15:38

No. 29, Jolie Strawn, Deer Creek, 20:15:69

No. 30, Kiley Keene, Santa Fe, 20:17:28

No. 40, Somer Rhodes, Memorial, 20:38:25

No. 46, Camryn Kirkland, Edmond North, 20:48:98

No. 47, Aubrey Byers, Deer Creek, 20:49:49

No. 53, Hannah Jackson, Edmond North, 20:56:20

No. 59, Zenaida Burgos, Deer Creek, 21:07:65

No. 62, Amber Chen, Memorial, 21:12:20

No. 66, Elizabeth Nowlin, Edmond North, 21:17:86

No. 67, Blake Tarzia, Edmond North, 21:22:42

No. 73, Amelia Larson, Santa Fe, 21:36:82

No. 76, Audrey Hill, Santa Fe, 21:41:09

No. 77, Cali Dorman, Deer Creek, 21:45:12

No. 78, Veagan Jones, Memorial, 21:46:35

No. 83, Elise Hale, Santa Fe, 21:59:30

No. 85, Lauren Crouch, Memorial, 22:05:89

No. 88, Sarah Butler, Santa Fe, 22:08:36

No. 90, Emma Singletary, Memorial, 22:16:18

No. 91, Baylee Thien, Edmond North, 22:16:50

No. 92, Kylie Boggs, Edmond North, 22:17:56

No. 99, Marin Rhodes, Memorial, 22:48:92

No. 103, Claire Hall, Santa Fe, 23:06:54
